Holding device for fishing rods and the like



March 24, 1953 J. HEISTAND HOLDING DEVICE FOR FISHING RODS AND THE LIKEFiled Dec. 29, 1949 mmvrm Jon-m L. Has-mm) BY Patented Mar. 24, 1953HOLDING DEVICE FOR FISHING RODS AND THE LIKE 1 John L. Heistand,Overland, Mo. Application December 29, 1949, Serial No. 135,665

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to holding devices for fishing rods,particularly fishing rods provided with reels, and more specifically toholding devices of this type adapted to support fishing rods on banksadjacent to streams or on ,boats supported on bodies of water, thepredominant object of the invention, being to provide a-holding deviceof the type referred to above which is of extremely simple constructionand which, because of its improved arrangement, is capable of performingits intended function in an improved and highly efficient manner.

Fig. l is a side elevation of the improved holding device of thisinvention, a portion of a fishing rod having a reel associated therewithbeing associated with the holding device of Fig. 1, a portion of theholding device being broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section taken on line 22 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, aportion of the holding device being broken away,

Fig. 4 is a, fragmentary side elevation of a clamp which forms a part ofthe holding device when same is supported by a boat.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a, detail view of the connection between .the bracket andclamp of Fig. 4.

shaped as is shown to good advantage in Fig. 1;

that is to say, said opposed side walls of the cradle are of the maximumheight at the rear portion Ia of said cradle and, with forward portionslb of the side walls of the cradle of substantially reduced heightrelative to said real portion of the cradle. Also, the extreme forwardportions Ic of the opposed side walls of the cradle I are of curved andpointed configuration as shown in Fig. 1.

Associated with the cradle I of the holding device A, as illustrated inFigs. 1, 2, and 3, is a bracket element 2 which includes a verticalportion 2a and a horizontal portion 2b, said vertical portion of thebracket element 2, and a wall of the cradle I being provided with alinedopenings 3 and 4, respectively, through which a bolt 5 is extended, thebolt 5 having mountedthereon a wing nut 6. Also, the vertical portion 2aof the bracket element 2 is provided with a second opening I, and thewall of the cradle I in which the opening 4 is formed has formed thereinan arcuate slot 8 with a, portion of which the opening I is alined, anda bolt 9, which has a wing nut I0 mounted thereon, is extended throughsaid opening I and said arcuate slot 8. The cradle I is swingable aboutthe bolt 5 to difierent positions of angularity relative to the bracketelement 2, the wing nuts I5 and I0 being unscrewed slightly when thecradle is to be adjusted from one to a different position after whichsaid wing nuts are reset in clamping engagement with respect to thevertical portion of the bracket element 2 so as to firmly retain thecradle in the position to which it has been adjusted.

Formed in each of the opposed side walls of the cradle I is a slot II,the slots II of said opposed side walls of the cradle being alined witheach other transversely of the cradle, and said slots beingsubstantially parallel relative to the rear edges of the opposed sidewalls of said cradle. Supported in the slots II of the opposed sidewalls of the cradle I is an elongated, headed bolt I2, said bolt beingextended transversely of said cradle with a washer I3, that is disposedbeneath the head of the bolt, contacting with the outer face of one sidewall of the cradle, and with a wing nut I4, which is mounted on theopposite screwthreaded end portion of the bolt I 2, contacting with theouter face of the other side wall of the cradle. The elongated bolt I2is embraced by a tubular spacer I5 whose opposite ends contact with theinner faces of the opposed side walls of the cradle I (Fig. 2). The boltand spacer assembly provided by the elongated bolt I2 and thetubular'spacer I5 may be adjusted longitudinally of the slots II for apurpose to be hereinafter explained, the wing nut I4 being unscrewedslightly to permit of such adjustment and said wing nut being reset withrespect to the adjacent side wall of the cradle so as to clamp the boltand spacer assembly in the position to which it has been adjusted.

The bracket element 2 has attached thereto a stake I6 which is providedwith a vertical portion having a pointed lower end portion Ilia thatfacilitates forcing said stake into the ground, and said stake isprovided, also, with a horizontal portion IGb at the upper end thereof.The horizontal portions 2b and IE1) of the bracket element 2 and thestake I6, respectively, are arranged in overlapping and underlappingrelation, as is shown in Fig. 3, and a bolt I1 is extended throughalined openings formed through said horizontal portions 2?) and "b, saidbolt I! having a wing nut 18 mounted thereon which is adjustable intoclamping engagement with the lower face of the horizontal portion lGb ofthe stake l6 so as to secure said horizontal portions together, Theparticular fishing rod B shown. in the drawingcomprises a handle portion0, a recessed portion D: located immediately forward of the handleportion C, and a rod portion E projected forwardly of said" recessedportion D, said recessed. portion having a reel F suitably mountedthereon.

In the use of the improved holding device of the present invention,which is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawing, the stake. idis forced into the ground so' as to support the holding device for use,and the cradle I-. of the holding device is adjusted to a desiredposition, thisbeing accomplished by unscrewing. the wing nuts. 6: and;Ill slightly, adjusting the. cradle to the desired: position, andthereafter resetting said wingv nuts in their clamping positions sc. asto retain the cradle in. itsposition of adjustment. The wing nut id isthan. unscrewed slightly and the bolt i2 and. spacer l5 are movedupwardly to permit the handle C of a fishing rod to be disposed in thecradle,.the bolt and spacer assembly then being lowered until the spaceri5 contacts with the upper portion of the fishing rod handle when. thewing. nut M is reset to clamp the bolt and spacer assembly in. placewhere it secures the handle of the fishing rod to the cradle. it. shouldbe desired to. adjust the outer portion of. the fishing rod. verticallyvin the use of the holding device, this may be quickly and convenientlydone by unscrewing'the. wing nuts E- andv l0, adjusting. the cradle lto, the desired position, andthereaiter resetting said wing nuts 6.:-and [0, Also, the outer portion of the fishing rod may be adjustedhorizontally by merely unscrewing the wing nut I8 and. rotating thebracket element 2 about the bolt H. to position the outer portion. ofthefishing rod in the desiredpositicn, said wing nut l8- thereafterbeing. reset to retain the bracket element 2 in. its position, ofadjustment.

Attention; is directed. to the fact. that when a fishstrikes the book;ofthe fishing line of a fish.-

ing rod supported by the improved holding device of this invention, saidfishing rod may be quickly released from the holding device by. pullingthe fishing rodferwardly so as to disengage the handle oi-v the; fishingrod from its normal. positionbeneaththe spacer: it, there beingsufficient locseness between. the spacerand, thehandle.- of the fishingrod t0 permit. this. On the, other hand, however; if a fishermandesires. to, leave the fishing rod unattended he may adjust. the spacer"into tight engagement with the handle of, the: fishing rod so that thefishing rod. may not be. pulled loose from the holding device by a.hooked fish or for other reasons.

When the improved holding device of this invention is to be employed ina boat, the stake i6 is detached from the bracket element 2 by removingthe bolt I! and its associated wing nut t8 and by substituting for saidstake a clamp 19, such as that shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6-. The clamp1'9 comprises a substantially U-shaped framemember 20, one leg of whichscrew.-

threadedly supports. a screwthreaded element 21 having an operatinghandle 22 at one end and a clamping element 23 at its opposite end whichis adjustable toward and from a clamping portion 24 that comprises apart of the clamp frame 20. The clamp frame 20 has fixed thereto at thetop thereof, as said clamp is illustrated in Fig. i, a plate 25, saidplate being provided with an aperture 25'. The clamp i8 is attached tothe bracket element 2 by' passing the: bolt ll through alined aperturesof the horizontal portion 21) of said bracket element and the plate 25of the clamp and applying the wing nut 8 to said bolt ll so as to clampsaid parts 21) and 25 together. The clamp I9 is then applied to theboat, a portion of the boat being clamped betweenthezclamp portions 23and 24 in an obvious manner. The clamp I9 is provided with a secondplate 25 that has an aperture 26' formed therethrough, this plate beingadapted to have the portion 2b of the bracket element 2 secured theretoby means of a bolt and wing nut assembly when the clamp is secured to apart of a boat with the open side of the clamp frame facing downwardly.

Iclaim:

l. A holding device for fishing rods and the like comprising a cradleadapted to receive a portion or" an article held by the holding device,a bracket element, means for attaching said cradle to said bracketdevice for pivotal movement with respect thereto, locking means forlooking said cradle in position to which it is adjusted, said lockingmeans comprising an arcuate slot formed in a wall portion of said.cradle and a bolt extended through an aperture formed through saidbracket element and through said arcuate slot, means movably supportedby said cradle for clamping said portion of the article held by theholding device relative to said cradle, and means for supporting saidbracket element in position for use of the holding device.

2. A holding device for fishing rods and the like comprising a cradleadapted to. receive a portion of an article held by the holding device,a bracket element, means for attaching said cradle to said bracketdevice for pivotal move ment with respect thereto, means movablysupported by said cradle for clamping said portion of the article heldby the holding device relative to said cradle, said cradle havingopposed walls that are provided with alined slots, and said movableclamping means comprising an element which is supported for movementwith respect to said slots and has a nut mounted on, an end thereof forclamping said element various positionsflto which it is adjusted, andmeans for supporting said bracket; element in position for use of theholding device.

JOHN L. HELISTAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesv are of record. in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 1,525,044 Primrose Feb. 3.9252,238,127 Nissen Apr. 15,1941 2,301,885 Laehr Nov. 10, 1942 2,454,458Kaetker Nov. 2a 1948 2,458,881 Steuer Jan. 1-1" 1249 2,502,272 PattonMar. 2a, 1950

